It was a pleasant surprise to see Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten, together, in Afghanistan. Our troops deserve to have it made plain that we all understand their commitment and sacrifice.

There will be times when it is appropriate for a prime minister to go alone to visit troops on active duty, but Abbott rightly identified that this was not one of them. The last-minute, pre-election visit by former prime minister Kevin Rudd looks pretty cheap in contrast.

There will be times when it is appropriate to go alone to visit troops, but Abbott rightly identified that this was not one of them. Photo: Andrew Meares

Surely others have noticed the lack of personal acid permeating the political airwaves since the election. The media landscape almost devoid of personal tittle tattle, finger-pointing and acrimony is much more enjoyable. Perhaps we will see a greater focus on policy than personality. We can hope.

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The words used by Labor stalwarts since the election make it seem as though they have heard the message from the electorate. But remember the adage in life: look at what someone does rather than what they say.

So if we look at what Labor has decided to do with respect to the carbon tax, we see a story that is a little different.

It seems as though Shorten, having been to an election where the new government campaigned unequivocally on getting rid of the tax, hasn't recognised the result.

The party that was utterly defeated is offering, as a compromise, essentially the policy they took to the election. That doesn't seem like much of a compromise. Nor does it convey a recognition of the fact that a majority of Australians chose a different party with a fundamentally different policy.

One post-election change I welcome is the new government's apparent desire to get on with governing as opposed to providing day to day infotainment and grist to the media mills. There are critics who suggest that, for example, Scott Morrison having weekly media briefings about immigration issues rather than day-by-day media commentary is somehow denying us our right to know. Balderdash.

Yes, we have a right to know what our government is doing and to hold it accountable. But that does not mean it has to be on a minute by minute, 24/7 basis. Given the Australian-based networks of people smugglers, I can see good operational reasons for not blabbing out to the world at large what we are doing on a day-by-day basis to throttle their filthy business. And frankly, ministers getting on with their job are worth more to you and me than ministers who spend valuable time each day answering and re-answering questions that could be dealt with in an organised and regular fashion.

Much has been said about an apparent requirement for ministers and MPs to clear press releases and interviews, before they do them, with the Prime Minister's office. There are two sides to this story.

Government is a team job. If you have a government of individuals who operate independently of each other with little care and attention to the whole, it will be a shambles.

The media, in their own interest, would obviously benefit from and prefer a smorgasbord of stories from which they could pick their favourite. You can bet that the story they choose will be the one with the most colour, conflict or controversy.

Good policy decisions might get less coverage on any particular day simply because another story is more colourful or controversial. Governments, companies and individuals have no obligation to provide such a smorgasbord.

Governments do have an obligation to give time and attention to how they can get their message out to the people. Managing to get that message out is a part of governing.

If two or, heaven help us, three ministers each separately decided to break some big news in their portfolios on the same day, I would say they were not up to the job. In a team you play together, not against each other. There is good reason to co-ordinate ministerial media.

After a period of working together a clear understanding should be had by all as to what needs to be co-ordinated and what is more run of the mill stuff that can be left to individuals. Over-co-ordinating could run the risk of producing a blandness that the electorate might find calming but unpalatable dross.

The other side to this story is that the business of government is enormous. No one person, office or department can be across everything. Media co-ordination isn't about control, it's about co-ordination. If that is all that is happening, we can be grateful.

Ministers are responsible to their electors for being in Parliament, and to Tony Abbott for being office holders. Having two bosses isn't always easy. At the same time the PM, while responsible to his electorate, gets his high office from the vote of his colleagues. That is a formula for mutual respect. It should work quite well.

Sadly, sometimes co-ordination can slip out of control. If that is what is intended, or is allowed to happen we should worry. And no one should worry more than Abbott.

As someone recently said, ''nothing leaks like unhappiness''.

Amanda Vanstone was a minister in the Howard government.

114 comments

Laughed so much I almost wet my pants, and that was after reading just the headline. It's only been two months but the cynics are getting what they could have foretold. Roll on, double dissolution: we'll get rid of this ship of fools.

Commenter

AlexOv

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 6:50AM

Oh Amanda your words of wisdom warm my heart. If only those silly labor people knew how to avoid all media scrutiny they could have gotten away with blue murder too...

Commenter

The Fleecer

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 7:04AM

hahahahahahahahahaha - didn't expect such comedy so early on a Monday morning. This is spin at its finest. The problem is that as you argue, Amanda, that it's ok to have weekly media briefings (which I don't agree with they should be held when there is an issue) but ta those briefings the minister is just showing contempt and shutting down questions. The great three star general was decidedly uncomfortable with the spin and having to mouth the words of the minister and not say anything.

Govts lose elections oppositions don't win elections and the climate change "mandate" is smoke screen (from the unprecedented fires in the Blue Mountains in October).... and follows the most vicious storm in history... indicating that it is even more important to do something sensible about climate change.

Commenter

n720ute

Location

North Coast NSW

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 7:15AM

Should've been labelled satire. Farcical comment, yet I assume she was trying to be serious.Hilarious Amanda. All aboard for the barrel of laughs with our "New Tony Team".

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 7:44AM

@AlexOv. You are quite right, roll on the double dissolution so we can wipe out the Labor Party, The Greens from the Senate and a raft of self serving minor parties.

Commenter

Muphin

Location

Tewantin

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 7:49AM

Abbott and Murdoch started the 2013 campaign right after the last election and the "NO" to everything worked. But were is Shorten? If a third party can show some form over the next few years they might over run the no attack labour party and the current mob of liars will be around for a long time.

Commenter

Grey Nomad

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 8:06AM

Of course, as Amanda states, there is a "lack of personal acid permeating the political airwaves since the election". Abbott et al, who were responsible for the relentless sniping have stopped. The Murdoch press has nothing to complain about; having guided its team into government, and the media has little or nothing to report because nobody in government is saying anything at all, regardless of the topic or national interest.

The sound of one hand clapping!

Commenter

Ize

Location

Glenwood

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 8:19AM

Yes funny, but ever since direct-action has been called a political fig-leaf I can't help visualising them in-situ on members (and former ministers) of the Coalition - and that is disturbing.

Commenter

middleway

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 9:04AM

imagine being a journalist (sic) with the murdoch papers, how demoralising. Nothing to see here.. move on..What a joke the liberals are. WIthout a shred of doubt this is the worst government in history and demand (ie jump up and down and scream blue murder) an election now! hmm.. next time maybe if I write in CAPS it will get more attention and make me appear more intelligent?

Commenter

harry

Location

melbourne

Date and time

November 11, 2013, 9:22AM

The Government don't answer questions because they quite simply don't respect the Australian people who they hoodwinked into electing them and govern instead for a narrow self interested group of big business and the wealthy.

As someone else so aptly put it, things have quietened down because Tony Howard and the heckling hyena party who jumped all over the media while in opposition are ensconced now behind closed whispering amongst themselves, trying to figure how to redirect the people's money to their wealthy mates who backed their election.